Why is that?
> 1 : a loser or predicted loser in a struggle or contest
I think it fits. Russia loses a lot.
I have noticed that identification with dogs has become very frequent in the past decade, apparently in more territories and among diverse cultures. If there is one thing that does not promise well...
The world has learned since then that the Ukrainian language seems to lack any words for "I surrender", and that Russian claims of military might may have been rather drastically inflated.
When you have a communication department uncaring about "unuseful details", a narration to depicts you in a luring light can always be found.